Latest news with #TrivediSchoolofBiosciences
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
‘Covid needs more surveillance than common cold, cough'
Former director of the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology and ex-chair of the WHO technical advisory group for viral evolution, Dr Anurag Agarwal, says that India will be able to ride the current Covid-19 surge without increased hospitalisation or deaths. Currently the Dean of BioSciences and Health Research at the Trivedi School of Biosciences, Ashoka University, and head of the Koita Centre for Digital Health, he spoke with Kavita Bajeli-Datt about the evolution and surveillance of Covid. Excerpts: India is again experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases. How do you view the latest surge, coming after a brief pause? Globally, there have been many such surges since the initial Omicron wave. These have all been with descendants of Omicron, and no new variant of concern has emerged. The risk to public health has been low due to the change in the virus and, more importantly, sufficient immunity to protect against severe disease. I expect this surge to follow the same pattern as the rise in infections, with little change in hospitalisations or deaths. So, we should ride this wave, too. Do we need to start wearing masks, especially those living in Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi, which are the top contributors? It is always good to avoid infections, and wearing masks in crowded places with poor ventilation is always a good idea, especially for high-risk individuals, such as the elderly. Whichever place tests more seems to be the highest contributor.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
From Code to Care: How India's AI Prescription Is Rewiring Access and Affordability for Scalable Healthcare
New Delhi: Imagine a future where a villager in rural Bihar receives an accurate diagnosis through a smartphone, or a junior doctor in a government hospital in Rajasthan interprets complex scans in seconds with the help of an AI assistant. This is not science fiction—it's the very real trajectory of India's healthcare system as it accelerates into an AI-powered digital revolution. By 2030, India's healthcare landscape is poised for radical transformation. With artificial intelligence woven into the core of medical care, patients will gain faster diagnoses, personalized treatment plans, and seamless access to services—often through mobile devices. Healthcare workers, in turn, will rely on intelligent systems to aid clinical decisions, minimize errors, and automate routine tasks—freeing them to focus on what truly matters: caring for patients. In an exclusive interaction with ETHealthworld, Dr. Anurag Agrawal, Dean of the Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University and a member of the Health AI Committee, offered insights into this impending transformation. 'The question isn't whether AI will transform Indian healthcare—it's how fast and how far this transformation can scale,' he said. Beyond Hype: Scaling Trust and Transparency Dr. Agrawal emphasised that while the potential of AI is immense, realising it will require more than just algorithms. It demands trust, transparency, targeted innovation, and a collaborative ecosystem willing to rigorously test and deploy AI solutions where they are needed most—at the grassroots. Looking ahead to 2030, he envisions a healthcare system marked by instant diagnostics, AI-assisted treatment planning, and improved access across demographics. AI will not only enhance diagnostics but also accelerate drug discovery, promote precision wellness, and reshape medical education, making it a cornerstone of future healthcare training. India's Unique Advantage: Scale + Digital Infrastructure With one of the world's largest digital infrastructures and a population increasingly connected, India has a rare opportunity—not just to adopt AI, but to set a global benchmark in its deployment. 'India's true strength lies in its scale,' Dr. Agrawal noted. 'Initiatives like Aadhaar, UPI, and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) create a robust foundation to deploy AI across varied health scenarios—from urban hospitals to rural PHCs.' From Pilot to Policy: Real-World Impact Already Underway Dr. Agrawal highlighting promising pilot projects already demonstrating the real-world impact of AI, said,"AI-powered diabetic retinopathy screening, led by Mona Do (now heading the ICMR Institute for National Digital Health Research), showcased how early detection can prevent blindness. AI tools in Rajasthan are interpreting CT scans in the absence of radiologists. Chest X-ray interpretation systems are successfully screening for tuberculosis. 'These projects work best when co-developed by tech innovators and frontline healthcare professionals who understand clinical nuances,' he said. To bridge the gap between promise and execution, the government has launched the India AI Mission, inviting proposals for responsible and scalable AI healthcare models. Many of these align with national initiatives like Ayushman Bharat, and India's rising visibility on global platforms—such as the upcoming World Health Summit regional meeting—signals its ambition to lead the AI-healthcare movement. Balancing Innovation and Regulation A key challenge, however, remains: regulatory clarity, informed Dr Agarwal. While NITI Aayog is working on frameworks like the 'Ease of Doing Science' policy, Dr. Agrawal warned of the delicate balance between enabling innovation and overregulating a nascent sector. A phased rollout strategy, grounded in scientific validation and peer-reviewed results, is essential to building trust and credibility. Public-Private Synergy: The Innovation Flywheel Private investment is playing a crucial role. Homegrown startups are drawing venture capital, and global tech giants such as Microsoft and Google, along with philanthropic players like the Gates Foundation, are actively collaborating with Indian innovators. This synergy between public vision and private ingenuity is creating a thriving AI-health ecosystem. The Road Ahead India stands at the cusp of a healthcare revolution. With its unparalleled scale, digital readiness, and entrepreneurial energy, the nation has all the ingredients to lead the world in AI-driven healthcare. But success will hinge on its ability to validate innovations, regulate smartly, and collaborate across sectors to ensure AI reaches every citizen—urban or rural, rich or poor. 'If these pieces come together, India won't just transform its own healthcare system—it will become a blueprint for the world,' Dr. Agrawal concluded.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Bridging the "Valley of Death" in Bioscience: Turning Discoveries into Real-World Health Solutions
New Delhi: India has no shortage of scientific talent or discoveries in biosciences. But turning these breakthroughs into solutions that transform lives remains a systemic challenge. Bridging this gap—often called the 'valley of death'—requires more than scientific brilliance. It demands structural reform, aligned incentives, and bold experimentation. 'This is the infamous 'valley of death' in translational research,' says Dr. Anurag Agrawal, Dean of the Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University . 'It's not always a technical issue. Often, people aren't incentivised to go beyond publishing papers.' To truly cross this chasm, he argues, India must reward translational impact alongside academic publishing. 'We need to evolve institutions so that real-world outcomes matter in career progression,' Dr. Agrawal insists. 'If stepping into translation brings only red tape and no reward, no one will do it.' Systemic Fixes: Incentives, Incubators, and Innovation Missions Among his recommendations are streamlining bureaucratic processes, scaling up initiatives like the Atal Innovation Mission , and building strong incubators that support not just ideation but implementation. 'These programs are a step in the right direction,' he says, 'but they must be scaled thoughtfully to support productization and field deployment.' Academia Meets Industry: Building a Bioscience Pipeline On bridging academia and industry, Dr. Agrawal believes the solution lies in starting young. 'We must ignite passion for innovation early—before students become exam-focused and risk-averse.' At Ashoka, that vision is taking shape. The university is building an innovation centre physically integrated with the Trivedi School of Biosciences. Undergraduates are encouraged to engage with cutting-edge technologies from day one. 'Biology today is interdisciplinary. AI is the new language of biology,' he declares. Ashoka has also launched the Lodha Young Genius program, bringing high-school students—some as young as Class 9—face-to-face with leading thinkers like Nobel Laureate Paul Nurse. 'These early sparks can light lifelong fires,' Dr. Agrawal says. From Rare Disease Breakthroughs to Mainstream Health Innovation India's foray into genomics gained traction through the diagnosis of pediatric rare diseases using next-generation sequencing (NGS). But Dr. Agrawal sees the future in expanding these capabilities to more prevalent challenges like non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially cancer. 'In oncology, genomic profiling helps personalise therapies using biomarkers like EGFR or ALK mutations,' he explains. However, such innovations remain largely confined to elite institutions due to cost barriers. That's changing. Companies like Karkinos healthcare and Strand Life Sciences , now backed by Reliance, are striving to democratise genomic diagnostics . 'If Reliance can do for genomics what it did for telecom with Jio, we may finally see precision oncology become mainstream,' he notes. Genomic Surveillance: A Public Good, Not a Private Gamble The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of genomic surveillance, but it also exposed gaps. 'If a novel pathogen emerges in a district hospital, are we positioned to catch it early? Not yet,' says Dr. Agrawal. Platforms like IDSP, IHIP, and INSACOG are steps forward, but genomic surveillance remains overly centralized and research-focused. To be effective, it must be embedded in public health systems, with strong federal coordination. 'Surveillance is a public good,' he stresses. 'It cannot be left to the private sector. The government must lead—especially in a country where health is a state subject but surveillance is centrally governed.' Precision Medicine—Broadening the Lens Dr Agrawal urges a more inclusive understanding of precision medicine . 'Even a continuous glucose monitor guiding a diabetic's diet is precision health,' he says. In this broader view, AI, mobile tech, and wearable devices can bring personalised care to the masses. However, a recurring bottleneck remains: access to targeted therapies. 'Genomic diagnostics mean little without affordable access to the corresponding drugs,' he warns. India must align diagnostics with treatment availability, regulatory flexibility, and pricing reforms. Commenting on what should the National Research Foundation prioritise?, Dr Agarwal informed that the NRF could play a transformative role—if it focuses on people, not just infrastructure. 'Fund curiosity. Fund mentorship. Don't micromanage outcomes,' Dr. Agrawal advises. 'If we invest in passionate researchers and capable institutions, the impact will follow.' The Road Ahead: From Talent to Translation India's aspirations in genomics and health innovation are not limited by scientific capability—they're constrained by outdated systems. To unlock the full potential of Indian biosciences, Dr. Agrawal calls for a culture that rewards real-world outcomes, fosters interdisciplinary education, and supports translation at every step. 'Ashoka University may be small, but we can be a lab for the country—where we test bold ideas that scale,' he says. 'India has the talent and the tech. Now, we need to align incentives and invest in the right structures. Only then can we truly democratise health innovation.'
